The background of the invention will be discussed in two parts:
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to governors, and more particularly to a governor rotor assembly.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Governors utilized to regulate the speed of rotating members are used widely. One such governor utilized for controlling the speed of a phonograph device for use in a doll or the like is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,245,688, such patent being assigned to the assignee of the instant invention. In a governor of this type, diminutive size is important to enable the governor to be utilized in a compact mechanism for reproducing sound.
Generally, a governor comprises a rotor rotatably coupled to the rotating member which speed is to be controlled, the rotor having pivotally mounted therein at least a pair of diametrically opposed counterweights which pivot outwardly an angle determined by the speed of rotation of the rotor. In the device of the aforesaid patent, the outer periphery of the counterweights are arcuately contoured and provided with a brake shoe which may be a strip of fabric such as felt, the brake shoe being configured for engaging a brake drum or housing generally in spaced proximate relation with the brake shoe. The pivot axes of the counterweights are generally parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotor with each pivot axis radially displaced the same distance usually in proximity to the perimeter of the rotor. During assembly of such prior art governor art rotors, the rotor was constructed in two pieces with each piece containing a pair of diametrically opposed cup shaped recesses for receiving an end of each of the pivot axes of the counterweights, thus requiring that a first end of the pivot pins of each of the counterweights be inserted in a first rotor piece, and with the counterweights maintained in this position, the second rotor piece was then assembled with the other ends of the rotor pieces engaging the cup shaped recesses thereof.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved governor rotor having a one-piece rotor.
It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved governor rotor assembly which is compact, efficient and easy to assemble.